Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has backed plans that could see Britons eating fewer bacon sandwiches as part of Labour's net zero push. The plans involve clamping down on meat and dairy consumption to reduce carbon emissions from agriculture.
Pig farmer Anna Longthorpe from Anna's Happy Trotters told GB News that the nation is fed up with government interfering and trying to control people's lives. Meat and dairy form part of a healthy, balanced, nutritious diet, she said.
Longthorpe warned that if the government wants people to stop eating meat, they will presumably want farmers to stop producing it, which would simply export the problem without solving anything for the environment.
The farmer accused the Labour government of coming after farmers in a big way, describing the latest proposals as part of a broader pattern of farmer bashing that has characterised the current administration.
The proposals follow previous controversies over Labour's approach to net zero, including plans to phase out gas boilers. Critics say the government is now targeting people's food choices after already targeting their heating systems.
Supporters of the policy argue that reducing meat and dairy consumption is one of the most effective individual actions to lower carbon emissions and that the agricultural sector must play its part in meeting climate targets.
The debate over meat reduction reflects a broader tension in climate policy between the urgency of emissions cuts and public resistance to lifestyle changes imposed by government. Opinion polls consistently show that food-related climate measures are among the least popular with voters.